Raiden's Realm: Fear not, for we have nothing to fear (from Microsoft)

Fear not, for we have nothing to fear (from Microsoft) (Page 1 of 1)

Written by Steve Lake
Posted on: Feb 27, 2009 at 12:39pm
Section: Editorials
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I've been doing a lot of thought about this whole Microsoft lawsuit of Tom Tom. And despite all the doom and gloom going around in the Linux world of "oh dear, what will we do now? Microsoft will beat us up for this! Linux is doomed!", it's completely unfounded.

Yes, Microsoft has a controversial patent on the FAT file system (one I'm still waiting for someone to come up with some prior art so it can be overthrown) out there, and yes, they're suing Tom Tom on that basis. But this really isn't a lawsuit to fear.

A gentleman I know on another forums I frequent happened to point out a very reassuring fact about the current lawsuit. It's essentially just SOP (standard operating procedure) for the Microsoft legal department as part of their FUD war against Linux.

Even if they somehow win against Tom Tom, this is in no way a win against Linux, or any kind of threat that puts Linux in jeopardy. Why? Well, think back about two years ago when Microsoft claimed that Linux violated 235 of their patents. It wasn't so much this FUD event of epic proportions that was interesting, but rather what resulted from it.

They threatened Linux, and they got the threat of MAD (mutually assured destruction) thrown right back at them. Yep. And that specter still hangs over their heads even today. If Microsoft ever goes after Linux directly, they can expect the likes of IBM, Red Hat, Google, FSF and every other FOSS friendly, patent wielding company and organization to open up a counter blitz on Redmond the likes of which would annihilate the company.

Sure, it'll generate a lot of casualties on both sides, likely even doing some pretty heavy damage to Linux and it's allies along the way (hence the reference to MAD), but in the end, Microsoft will always come out the worse for it.

Now that's not to say that they haven't tested several legal routes by which they can attack Linux (ref: Novell deal, SCO, patent trolls, etc) in the past, or even currently without initiating MAD, but anything they do is very carefully planned, and ultimately they end up having to settle for extra cash in the FUD bank rather than any real victories.

And Tom Tom is exactly that. Well, part of it is anyways. There's a lot more to the Tom Tom lawsuit than meets the eye. But if Linux at any point had anything to fear, it's that Microsoft will gain another piece in their FUD war they can use against Linux.

Oddly though, they ought to realize by now that the longer the war goes on, the less effective their FUD is. And this is no exception. People are wising up, and in time, even the FUD that Redmond brings won't be of any use to them.

So don't panic. Linux isn't in any danger at all by the Tom Tom lawsuit. It's just more FUD warfare in a long and tiresome battle that really has gone from being epically important to just downright ridiculous and tiresome.

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